


Along The Path

by Moonscar



Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Emotionally Constipated Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Eskel is a Good Bro, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, If You Squint - Freeform, Jaskier is Extra, Light Angst, Like, Teasing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, so the usual
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:40:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28676817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonscar/pseuds/Moonscar
Summary: If there was one thing Jaskier was marvelous at doing, it was bitching and moaning about the smallest of things.
Relationships: Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon & Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon & Jaskier | Dandelion, Eskel & Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia & Lambert, Eskel & Jaskier | Dandelion & Lambert, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia & Jaskier | Dandelion
Kudos: 12





	Along The Path

If there was one thing Jaskier was marvelous at doing, it was bitching and moaning about the smallest of things.

"Geralt, would you be oh so kind to let the traveling bard rest his feet? We've been walking since morn' and it's quite nearly time for dinner" Jaskier called out to Geralt who walked next to Roach, leading her with such care that Jaskier could only ever wish to gain from, well, anyone.

"We'll stop once we arrive in town" Geralt grunted in response, not even bothering to glance back at the bard. Jaskier huffed and sped up a bit to walk in front of the Witcher, spinning on his heels so he was walking backwards, facing Geralt in all his sweat-smelling glory.

"And pray-tell Geralt, how far is this town?" Jaskier inquired, and Geralt huffed.

"We should arrive before the sun completely sets" Was the only response he was given. Geralt sped up his pace a bit, and Jaskier stumbled slightly on a rock, quickly catching himself with flailing arms and stumbling feet before spinning once more and walking next to the Witcher.

Well, if the walk was to be so long, Jaskier could play a few tunes to lighten the hunger weighing on his stomach. While he complained more often than not, he didn't wish to guilt Geralt about the fact he was actually hungry.

He'd receive a meal once they arrived anyways.

So, for the time being, he strummed at his lute and sang while Geralt stead-fast ignored him, but despite how the big bad wolf may act, he knew that Geralt didn't mind as much as he pretended to. So, he whistled and hummed and fiddled with his lute while they walked along the path.

They stumble into town just a little bit before the sun has set, just as Geralt had predicted. Jaskier let himself wander towards the cheapest looking Inn he could find while Geralt made it towards the stables to tend to Roach after a long days work.

Jaskier finally stumbled upon an inn mixed in with a tavern not too far from the stables. It was rickety and old, dark wood making up the outside of the building. Jaskier pushed open the door, and inside there were possibly a little over a dozen or so villagers, all coming here after a long day's work for a drink. Jaskier didn't let his gaze linger too long before making it towards the bar, leaning over the rough wood and calling over the bartender.

"Hello, I would like to rent a room for the night, one bed please" Jaskier asked kindly, sending an eccentric smile to the man behind the counter. Geralt and him had long given up pretenses of using separate beds or rooms, because it simply helped to save coin and the two of them couldn't truly give a rats ass if they shared a bed. It was a place to rest and the two were rather content to share. 

The bartender took in Jaskiers attire, his lute's case swung over his shoulder and his most likely slightly dirtied clothing. Once he found what he seemed to be looking for, he simply hummed in response, nodding politely to him.

"That will be twenty" He said, voice gruff from disuse, and it reminded Jaskier of Geralts voice, although the bartenders was raspier. Jaskier nodded and slid over the exact amount, and the bartender nodded.

"Second room to the left" Was all the bartender said before leaving. Jaskier sighed and pushed himself off the counter, surveying the room that smelled of ale and food, possibly something that smelled warm and meaty? Well, it was no matter.

He'd order food once he finished performing, whenever that would be. Afterall, the crowd seemed to be in a rather jolly mood and Jaskier was not about to pass on a nice crowd. The nicer the crowd the more generous they were, and coin had been a bit tighter lately because Geralt had had difficulty finding any bigger contracts. 

Well, coin was coin.

Just as Jaskier removed the lute from the case, the door swung open and there was a sudden silence, and Jaskier tried oh so desperately to hold in his dramatic sigh. 

Ah, so his Witcher arrives.

He'd been rather looking forward to performing as well.

Although, despite his expectations, the crowd, after a beat of silence, slowly delved back into conversation, if a bit tenser than before. Well, considering past experiences, it wasn't the worst welcome they'd received. Jaskier sent a wave to the Witcher, and the brooding figure just sent him a nod before making his way to a booth.

Which was surprising, considering Geralt would usually much rather sit at a bar when drinking and eating. Jaskier could only assume it's because it made the witcher feel less trapped, so that if he were to be cornered he wouldn't be stuck between a wall and the attackers.

Ah, such depressing thoughts for such a fine evening.

Well, the show must go on!

So, Jaskier leaned back against the bar and pulled his attention back to his lute, quickly making work on tuning it. He oh so hoped he could get along with removing the tense feeling that now surrounded the tavern, as though everyone was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

That simply would not do.

Finally, when Jaskier was all but satisfied by the tuning of his weapon of choice, he pushed himself upright with a fluid motion and made a grab for his case, walking further back to the bar and placing the case down for when, and only when, people would start showering him in coin once they saw how marvelous his playing was.

"Now, I know the grand entrance of my friend has seemed to dampen the mood suddenly, but I hope this thriller of a song will bring you all up in good spirits once more!" Jaskier called and did a slight bow. All he heard was a snort from near a booth, and he steadfast ignored it.

So, he launched into song without so much as a doubt in his mind that this would turn out fine, pushing all of his confidence into his performance.

He smiled and danced and pranced around, letting the music slowly rise in upbeatness as the crowd grew rowdier and rowdier, a few brave or drunk souls standing to dance. Jaskier continued to do his due duty and offered music and singing.

After possibly an hour or two of this, the atmosphere calmed and Jaskier judged it time to end the show. Better to end it while his crowd was still in good spirits.

"Thank you for this grand night! Truly remarkable, and thank you all!" Jaskier said, doing two exaggerated bows for flourish and he was greeted by overwhelming cheers and joy, such a positive reception he hadn't gotten in awhile. He finally headed back to his case, noticing that it was rather filled with coin, more so than it would be on a regular night. With a quick motion, he put them all into his coin pouch before slipping his lute into the case, snapping it closed. 

Once that was done, he stood and immediately looked over at where Geralt had seated himself earlier at the corner of the room.

Only to promptly let out a gasp of disbelief at who he saw seated with the big oaf.

There was Eskel and Ciri, sitting across from Geralt, all three of them talking amongst themselves. Jaskier rushed over with light steps, and he didn't even bother to notice Geralt shifting to make space for him as he collapsed onto the booth seat with a dramatic flourish, placing his lute under the table, speaking up before anyone could even get a word in.

"Hello to you too! Now that greetings are aside, how dare you two not state your presence?" He inquired a bit too loudly, trying to sound frustrated but only truly succeeding in sounding joyful. One couldn't really blame him though, since it was rather rare to run into the other wolves while on the Path.

"Well, you were a bit busy" Eskel commented teasingly, nodding his head towards the center of the room where Jaskier had been singing but mere moments ago. Jaskier simply waved a dismissive hand.

"Oh please, I would've taken a short break to speak with you all. Now dear Ciri, how has the Path been treating you dear?" Jaskier inquired, shifting his attention to the girl, or now, lady. This year was her first year on the Path after all those years of training, and she was going through it with Eskel to learn from first-hand experience. Ciri smiled at Jaskier, tilting her head to the side.

"Well, it hasn't been easy, but considering everything, it's going rather well. I'm sure you're interested more in the stories I have though, no?" Ciri asked teasingly, bringing up some kind of drink to her lips which looked a bit like juice.

Ah, may she never change.

"Well of course not! I do care very much for your well-being, but please, do share with me those stories you speak of" Jaskier said eagerly, and he heard Geralt snort faintly. He turned and glared at the man, who was all but ignoring him despite the slight tilt on the man's lips. Jaskier huffed, lightly kicking his leg under the table and Geralt reciprocated, finally turning his attention to the bard. They both stared at each other for a moment before Geralt raised a brow.

"Food?" He inquired, and Jaskier immediately perked up at the mention of eating.

"Yes! Food! I'd completely forgotten to get myself something to feast on in all the excitement" He said, pushing himself to his feet "Do any of you want anything? I've got a bit of coin to spare" Jaskier said, holding up the now almost full coin bag. 

"We've already eaten" Eskel offered, and Jaskier huffed.

"Of course you would all eat before your dear friend was done performing. A sad existence, eating alone while surrounded by people" He complained, gaining a laugh out of Ciri as she gave him a shooing motion. He huffed and sauntered off towards the bar to order. He ended up ordering some kind of plate of rice and soup with water before making it back to the table, sliding back into the booth, being careful to avoid kicking his lute.

"So, any contracts near here? Having two Witchers meeting in one area must be some kind of omen, no?" He inquired, and Eskel chuckled while Geralt just took a swig of his ale. 

"No omens that I know of exist for this kind of thing, but I'm sure you could create one" Eskel said, and Ciri hummed in thought, looking at Jaskier expectantly, so he cleared his throat.

"It could either be a bad omen that a great danger is coming-" He began, only to be cut off by Ciri.

"Is it a bad omen if it's predicting something bad though? Doesn't a prediction make it easier?" Ciri inquired, smartass that she is. Jaskier hummed in thought at that one.

"We may agree to disagree, simply because you know the bad is gonna happen doesn't mean it removes the bad from happening-"  
  
"Yes but, if it's gonna happen anyways then-"

"It doesn't matter, because there aren't any contracts in this town. So we'll be leaving by morn'" Geralt cut the debate off before it could get out of hand. Jaskier huffed and slumped back against the plush of the booth, crossing his arms childishly. Ciri, being ever mature, stuck her tongue out at him and he reciprocated in kind. He heard Geralt make an exasperated sigh while Eskel only seemed amused.

Then, Jaskier saw a waiter come around the corner and placed the plate in front of him, and Jaskier immediately felt his stomach clench. He nodded his thanks to the waiter and immediately started inhaling the food. He heard a snort from Ciri and he lifted his head from his bowl, pointing a spoon at her accusingly.

"You all ate dinner without me, let me digest this heavenly dish in peace. You try performing for hours on an empty stomach" He said, and she held her hands up in surrender, a smile on her face.

And thus, he continued eating while they all spoke, tone quieter now that Jaskier was busy.

Hm, Geralt was strangely quiet.

Well, Geralt was always quiet, but he had different types of quiet. He had his frustrated quiet, his thinking quiet, and so on. It had taken awhile for Jaskier to differentiate all of them, and occasionally he still struggled. 

So Jaskier raised his gaze to look at Geralt, pausing in his eating to find Geralt looking at him with a furrowed brow and thinned lips pressed tightly together.

Ah, so he was currently in his worried quiet, but how come-

Right, the food and hunger.

Jaskier smiled reassuringly at the big oaf, gently kicking his leg under the table, trying to convey the fact that he was okay and it was fine. Geralt seemed to understand, at least a bit, before he deflated a bit and turned his attention back towards Eskel and Ciri, the worried air around him dissipating but not evaporating. 

Jaskier quickly finished his meal, pushing the plate to the side and taking a sip of his drink, holding the tankard in such a way that it looked like he was holding a fancy glass of wine, or, as close as he could get to that with the thick mug.

"Will you two be following us once the morning comes?" Jaskier asked, turning his attention to Eskel ad Ciri. Ciri glanced at Eskel for guidance, since he was most likely the decision-maker on where they went while on the Path. Eskel glanced at her before nodding slightly.

"Yes, we'll be coming with you, at least for the next few days. We're going in the same direction anyways, so let's hope there's a good contract at the end of the line worth our combined efforts" Eskel said, turning to speak to Geralt near the end. Geralt grunted faintly.

"Wouldn't need our combined effort anyways" Geralt commented, ever the prideful man. Eskel chuckled good-naturedly and took a sip of his drink.

"Oh of course not, but it sure does help" He said, and Geralt just grunted in response, which is as much of a confirmation as they were all gonna get.

"Well, now that we've confirmed where we all stand come tomorrow, I'd say we all get a good night's rest, right my dear Witcher?" Jaskier said, turning to Geralt. Geralt hummed slightly in agreement.

"Ah well, if you insist on sharing a room with me-" Eskel cut in, standing up now. Jaskier laughed merrily.

"I'm afraid I'm talking about the other Witcher that is dear to me, Eskel. Ciri, care to share the room with me" He asked teasingly, holding out a hand to her as he stepped out of the booth. Geralt snorted into his mug, wiping his sleeve against his mouth while Eskel laughed. 

"While I'm flattered Master Bard, I simply must refuse" Ciri said, playing along. Once Eskel slid out of the booth she followed suit, shaking his outstretched hand amicably "But I do have standards when it comes to roommates, and you do move a lot in your sleep, and that simply won't do" She said, nodding to him as he let out an offended gasp, but she simply walked away from him without glancing back as he called out to her, surely going to hers and Eskels shared room.

"You'll regret that once you hear the ferocious snores of the Wolves!" He called dramatically, a few patrons turning to look at the ruckus he was creating.

"I know!" She called, and Jaskier could hear the faint offended squeak come from Eskel, the man going to rush after her with a quick goodbye to both Geralt and Jaskier, following quickly in Ciri's footstep to inquire about his 'snoring'.

"Well, I'd say that would be our cue to go to bed now, what do you say?" Jaskier said, turning his attention to Geralt who pushed himself out of the booth, standing up next to Jaskier and staring off towards the stairs that led towards the bedrooms.

"Yeah, let's go" Geralt said, patting his shoulder and walking off, knowing fully well that Jaskier would follow him.

He'd always follow him, wherever he went.

So the next morning they found themselves all packing up their few belongings and leaving the inn early in the morning to avoid being charged for another day. While the innkeeper seemed nice enough, they still didn't wanna risk it.

Anyways, the day waits for no one.

So that's how they found themselves crossing town, passing by shops and stands. Ciri had long ago forgone the hood to hide, her hair braided tightly and clothing seeming like a mishmash of Yennefers old clothing and anything that was laying around from the boys that used to live at the Keep. No use buying stuff for her if they already owned clothes that could make due.

By Jaskiers insistence, they took their time walking around, glancing at merchandise and the such as they walked by. Well, mostly, Geralt himself had immediately made a beeline to a herb stand, most likely to stock up on potions he was lacking in. Meanwhile, Jaskier, Eskel and Ciri all dragged behind a bit, taking their time to simply enjoy the warm morning air.

Thanks to Jaskier's work, the Witcher's no longer loathed every second they spent in towns, and while some parts of the world were better than others, their reputation was nothing to sneeze at now. While a few decades ago, they would've been rushed out the moment they finished a job without even being paid, now people simply passed with wary glances or by giving them a wider birth.

Nothing spectacular, but considering how terrible it used to be, it was still something.

As they walked along the path, Jaskier's eyes immediately took notice of a booth with outrageously obnoxious clothing, full of bright colors and unnecessary embellishments that Geralt would surely scoff at.

Which meant it was exactly up Jaskiers alley.

Well, it wasn't like he needed to spare _too_ much coin. 

So Jaskier made his way over, Eskel following behind him in a way Jaskier would assume a lost puppy would. Jaskier had the forethought to realize Ciri had drifted off somewhere. Well, it was no matter, she could care for herself.

Jaskier made his way to the stall, glancing at the clothes and taking a quick glance at the price tags as well. Ah, it definitely was on the pricier side of things, but looking at the craftsmanship of the items, it was a warranted price, so Jaskier couldn't bring himself to be upset about it.

Art rarely pays well in this world after all, and damn wouldn't he know it.

Jaskier flashed a grin at the seller behind the stall, the older man gazing at him and Eskel with wary eyes. Eventually, the man nodded in greeting and gestured to the multiples items of clothing hung around the stall and folded on the table.

"Break it you pay for it" He simply grumbled, and Jaskier nodded enthusiastically before picking up a large, colorful hat that was a darker purple, a hard color to come by. It was adorned with blues and oranges accents. Jaskier inspected it carefully before promptly plopping it on Eskels head without hesitation.

"Eh?" Came Eskels shocked response, staring at Jaskier with slight bewilderment. Jaskier simply grinned in response not bothering to explain.

"Well, purple certainly isn't your color but-" Jaskier said, promptly removing it before placing it on his own head, the hat fitting snugly "Is it possibly mine?" He inquired. Eskel simply stared at him for a moment, seeming just a bit shocked at his impulsiveness before shaking himself out of it. Finally, Eskel properly looked at him, squinting slightly.

"I'd say so?" Came his response.

"Ah, so poetic. What a detailed and in-depth response" Jaskier said sarcastically, being careful to keep a good natured tone. He removed the hat and inspected it, inspecting the tag. Rarely did items have tag son them, considering the fact that a good percentage of the populace couldn't read, but it was nice of the vendor to add it none-the-less.

"Expensive?" Eskel inquired, and if there's one thing all Witcher's had in common, it was how stingy they were with money. With good reason of course.

Luckily, Jaskier had no such qualms with spoiling them all, and himself, once in awhile.

"Ah, not overly so, considering the talent used to make this" He said, nodding to the vendor. The old man shone with slight pride, a slight upturn of his lips hiding his frown lines for but a moment. "I'd surely have enough to spare for food and another night at an Inn for us all, if we take into consideration that I'd play at the next tavern" Jaskier said, voice puttering off to a slight murmur as he spoke to himself. Eskel hummed slightly, crossing his arms, not uttering a word to distract Jaskier from his thoughts.

"Ah, why not?" He said finally, turning to the vendor. He heard Eskel chuckle faintly as he handed the vendor the coin needed for the hat. The vendor quickly counted it before nodding to Jaskier. He nodded back in response and promptly placed the hat back on his head, securing it there before grinning at Eskel, making a dramatic gesture towards his head and raising a brow.

"Yes, yes. You look nice. Now, we should go to the stables before Ciri and Geralt leave without us" Eskel said, nodding his head in the direction that the two had surely walked off to while Jaskier was busy pondering about buying his new clothing item. Jaskier hummed and nodded, adjusting his lute along his shoulder before walking in the general direction they had gone to. He heard Eskel huff in amusement before following after him.

As they walked towards the stables, Jaskier looked around at the people surrounding them, everyone going about their day. It didn't take much observation to notice that Eskel wasn't stared at as much as Geralt.

Which, fair.

Geralt was easy to recognize because of his... specifically negative reputation as a Witcher, and his white hair made him even easier to point out in a crowd. The only thing that pointed Eskel to being a Witcher was his eyes, which, despite being a very clear tell, people didn't tend to notice as much unless they were looking for it.

Gah, if anyone knew of the problems of Witchers, it was the bard who followed one for the last twenty or so years of his life.

Jaskier finally caught sight of the stables. There he saw Geralt gently tending to Roach, making sure she was well treated during her overnight stay. Jaskier let out an amused huff. Meanwhile, Ciri was tending to Eskel's horse, Scorpion. Both Jaskier and Eskel made their way towards their respective beast.

"No scratches on the darling I hope?" Jaskier inquired, gently rubbing at Roach's snout. She stared at him with her beady eyes.

And then she proceeded to sneeze in his face, snot spattering all over his face.

As he leapt back in disgust, feeling utterly flummoxed as he heard Geralt snort in amusement, giving Roach a congratulatory pat and Jaskier s _wears_ he heard mutter a quiet 'good girl' to her.

"No, she has been treated well" Geralt responded to Jaskiers earlier question, sending Jaskier a look that could only be described as bemused. Jaskier rubbed at his face in disgust, expression twisting into one of scorn.

"Ah well, I don't care much for her well-being _now_ " Jaskier grumbled, glaring at the mare. In response she simply stared at him with her black and beady eyes, as though daring him to make another move towards her. So, because he'd rather not die today, he took another cautious step back from her, eyeing her warily. He heard Ciri snort faintly.

"She's a horse, Jaskier. Stop being so dramatic" She said and Jaskier huffed annoyedly.

"You shouldn't doubt the fair mare Ciri. She has hated me since the day she laid eyes upon me." Jaskier grumbled, frowning as he eyed her, Geralt setting up her blanket and saddle, attaching the lighter bags to her. 

"Ah well, she may be worried that you will steal Geralt from her" Ciri teased, petting Scorpion, the mare letting a small stomp to show her delight. Unlike the absolute menace that Roach was, Scorpion was delightful and sweet.

"Well, she has nothing to worry about. Geralt's hands shall only ever tend to Roach and Roach alone" Jaskier said, looking over at Geralt to see if he had any qualms about that, or if he was about to defend himself and state that he also cared for Jaskier.

Instead, he raised a brow at him.

"Sounds just about right" He responded, brushing through Roache's hair before patting her neck, stepping away from her. Jaskier let out an, admittedly exaggerated, offended gasp while Ciri and Eskel laughed at the duo. Geralt seemed, in his own way, amused. 

"I am _offended,_ I stick around for twenty years and you destroy my pride like this?" Jaskier called out, and Geralt just gave him a deadpnned look.

"You said it, I simply confirmed it" He said, turning away from Jaskier and leading Roach to exit town, Eskel and Ciri following his lead. Jaskier quickly followed, trying to match his steps with Geralt.

"I mean _yes_ , but it is still incredibly rude!" Jaskier commented, Geralt doing quick work ignoring him, having learned long ago to not antagonize him. Geralt chanced a glance at the bard before vaguely gesturing to his hat, clearly wanting to stop Jaskier's offended rambling.

"Where did you get that from?" He grunted in question, giving Jaskier something else to rant about. Jaskier immediately perked up taking the bait with ease.

"Oh! I saw it at a stand while walking around with Eskel, and the moment I laid eyes upon it I fell in love- While it suited Eskel well enough, it suited me much better-" Jaskier said, hearing an offended call from behind him.

"Bullshit!" Eskel said, clearly trying to hide the amusement in his voice. Jaskier responded easily, all too used to this song and dance.

"Eskel, dear, you didn't see yourself, you looked absolutely hideous" He called out, hearing Ciri giggle in response to his snarky response, the girl always quite loving a battle of wits, and it showed with her own quick tongue from time to time when she bothered humoring Jaskier. He heard Geralt sigh in exasperation from next to him, and Jaskier couldn't bring himself to feel an ounce of pity for the man.

Finally, they exited the boundaries small town and walked further and further away, bickering and speaking to each other like the family they had all become, tight-knit and loyal.

And so the wolves and the bard traveled along The Path, reunited once again. 

While it wouldn't last forever, and they'd all have to go their separate ways eventually, for now they enjoyed each other's company.

They could worry about their departure at a later date.

For now, they let themselves worry about the hardships ahead, worrying not about what would come and simply enjoying the moment presented before them.

For they were a family, and they'd stick together through thick and thin, ready to face whatever Destiny would decide to throw at them.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! It's been a long while since I've posted so here we go ^^ 
> 
> This is supposed to be a belated Christmas gift for someone so, Merry Christmas! I apologize for the belated gift ^^;
> 
> Please leave a comment! I adore reading them and I've been starved ;w;


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